Gas appliance igniter for a mobile living unit

ABSTRACT

FUEL BY-PASS CONTROL IS CONVENTIONALLY LOCATED WHEREBY THE OPERATOR MAY EFFECT SIMULTANEOUS OPERATION OF THE IGNITION SYSTEM AND FUEL DISCHARGE FROM THE BURNER. PRE-SET SELECTOR MEANS, IN CIRCUIT WITH THE COIL, PERMITS THE OUTPUT OF THE COIL TO BE DIRECTED TO THE SPECIFIC APPLIANCE BURNER BEING IGNITED. AN IGNITION SYSTEM FOR GAS BURNING APPLIANCES OF A MOBILE LIVING UNIT, SUCH APPLIANCES INCLUDING STOVES, FURNANCES, PROPANE REFRIGERATION UNITS AND THE LIKE. ARC-INITIATING ELECTRODES ARE LOCATED ADJACENT THE BURNERS OF SUCH APPLIANCES AND ARE IN CIRCUIT WITH THE SECONDARY WINDING OF AN INDUCTION COIL FOR INITIATING AN ARC AROSS TO THE GROUNDED APPLIACE BURNER. THE INDUCTION COIL IS ENERGIZED REMOTELY FROM THE APPLIANCE LOCATION AT WHICH LOCATION A

Feb. 6, 1973 c, WARD 3,715,182

GAS APPLIANCE IGNITER FOR A MOBILE LIVING UNIT Filed Oct. 18 1971 JOHN C. WARD INVENTOR United States Patent "ice U.S. Cl. 431264 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An ignition system for gas burning appliances of a mobile living unit, such appliances including stoves, furnaces, propane refrigeration units and the like. Arc-initiating electrodes are located adjacent the burners of such appliances and are in circuit with the secondary winding of an induction coil for initiating an arc across to the grounded appliance burner. The induction coil is energized remotely from the appliance location at which location a fuel by-pass control is conventionally located whereby the operator may effect simultaneous operation of the ignition system and fuel discharge from the burner. Pre-set selector means, in circuit with the coil, permits the output of the coil to be directed to the specific appliance burner being ignited.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The prevent invention relates generally to an electrical igniter system for gas appliances or apparatuses of the type commonly found in vacation trailers, mobile homes and the like.

In the typical modern mobile living unit stoves, furnaces and refrigeration units are most usually of the gas powered type as this permits the unit to be self-contained and not dependent on a 110 v. power input. Such gas burning appliances conventionally incorporate pilot burners for normal operation which burners require re-lighting after each move of the mobile unit. characteristically the burners for such appliances or apparatuses are located in areas having restricted access thus rendering the ignition of the several pilot burners a substantial inconvenience particularly so when drafty conditions prevail. Access to the burner unit of an appliance is often from the exterior.

ignited result in an undesirable ignition flame of con-v siderable size.

Ignition of the pilot burner of an appliance within a mobile living unit requires both hands of the user, one to hold the open flame and the other to actuate a fuel override switch permitting gas to be discharged to the unlit burner. This coupled with the aspect of the burner being inconveniently located renders lighting of a pilot burner a task under even the most favorable wind conditions.

While attempts have been made to incorporate flint type spark emitting devices located adjacent the pilot burner of an appliance, such efforts have not been widely received for one reason or another.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns an electrical ignition system powered by a vehicle or living unit battery, said 3,715,182 Patented Feb. 6, 1973 system including a series of arcing electrodes each in close proximity to an appliance burner or its pilot burner for igniting same. The instant invention is for use within mobile living units such as vacation trailers, mobile homes, motor homes and truck carried camper units all of which commonly utilize gas powered appliances supplied by self contained tanks of the unit. The present igniter system is for use with gas appliances or apparatuses for initially igniting same after each period of travel of the unit during which time the pilot flame is, for safety purposes, extinguished. With the present ignition system each pilot burner of each appliance may be lit in a positive and convenient manner. Accordingly, the usual inconvenience of gaining access to a concealed appliance burner is avoided as is the hardship of repeated attempts of lighting same in windy or drafty conditions.

An additionally important object of the present invention is to provide an ignition system deriving power from the vehicle storage battery or equivalent battery conventionally carried by the mobile living unit. The ignition system is actuated by a switch paired with the appliance fuel override switch to permit lighting of a selected pilot burner by the simple momentary actuation of two switches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing the Single figure is a schematic of an ignition system for gas burning appliances embodying the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With continuing reference to the accompanying drawing wherein applied reference numerals indicate parts similarly identified in the following specification the reference numeral 10 identifies a housing for grouping the following described electrical components facilitating their convenient installation within a mobile living unit. The compact nature of the housed components permits the housing to be of a size permitting convenient installation in existing mobile units or alternatively incorporation into a unit during its construction.

Indicated at P-1, P-2 and P-3 are control panels associated with a plurality of gas burning appliances or apparatuses of the type commonly found in mobile living units such as for example a heater, stove, refrigeration unit, a water heater and the like. For purposes of safety the gas flow to such gas burning equipment is via a solenoid operated valve in circuit with a heat sensitive switch which blocks the fuel flow in the absence of a flame. To initially light the pilot burner it is necessary to manually actuate an override or by-pass mechanism to allow a fuel flow to circumvent the closed solenoid valve. With conventional ignition systems it is necessary to actuate both the override or by-pass switch with one hand while holding a match or operating a mechanical lighter with the other.

The present system includes manually actuated switches at 11 in parallel with a battery 12, with each switch located in close proximity to a fuel by-pass control at 13 for a particular appliance. The controls at 13 and fuel by-pass valves at 14 associated therewith, may be considered as conventional in existing fuel supply systems as may heat sensitive switches 15 and fuel control valves 16.

An induction coil 17 is mounted within housing 10 and includes primary and secondary windings 18 and 1S. One side of the primary winding 18 is in circuit with battery 12 via the plural push button switches 11 the latter wired across wires 20-21 with a lead 22 to primary winding 18.

Means are provided at 23 for interrupting an established primary circuit which circuit includes a conductor 24 back to source 12. A movable contact 25 is normally closed against a contact 26 with the arm of the movable contact being responsive to an electro-magnetic field about a core 29. Accordingly, upon actuation of a switch 11 movable contact 25 will open and close the primary Winding circuit in a vibratory manner to alternately establish and collapse a magnetic field to induce a high voltage in secondary winding 19.

For the purpose of directing the increased voltage output of the secondary coil to the appliance desired, a selector switch 31 is provided within housing 10. The switch 31 is provided with a manually positioned selector for setting of the switch arm in contact with one of a plurality of terminals 32-34 the number of which will be determined by the number of gas operated appliances within the living unit. High voltage leads 35-37 terminate re spectively at electrodes 38-40 all being suitably insulated as at 38A-40A from a supporting bracket. The burners indicated at B are grounded and are shown as being typical of one suitable arrangement. Other embodiments of the electrode arrangement may include the electrode being in arcing relationship with the grounded pilot burner of an appliance or gas burning apparatus.

The ignition system operation is believed obvious from the foregoing. The selector 31 is set for the appliance to be ignited with subsequent actuation of switches 11 and 13 of the particular appliance causing simultaneous gas flow from the burner and arcing of the electrode. The lower tip of the electrode is spaced from the burner structure to constitute a gap across which an arc will jump.

While I have shown but one embodiment of the invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied still otherwise without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is desired to be secured under Letters Patent is:

1. An ignition system for igniting the burner of a plurality of gas burning appliances of the type commonly carried within mobile living units such as vacation trailers, mobile homes and the like, said system comprising,

manually actuated switches each associated with one of said appliances with one side of each of said switches in circuit with a battery normally installed within the living unit or within a vehicle transporting same, said switches each located in close proximity to a fuel by-pass control for the appliance permitting simultaneous control and switch actuation during burner ignition,

an induction coil having primary and secondary windings with the primary winding [being in circuit with said battery via one of said switches,

electrically actuated switch means also in circuit with the primary winding and the other side of said battery and operable to interrupt a circuit through said primary winding for induction of a higher voltage current in said secondary winding of the coil, and electrodes receiving said higher voltage current with each electrode being in close proximity to the burner of each gas burning appliance for initiating an arc across the path of the gas issuing from the burner.

2. The ignition system as claimed in claim 1 additionally including a selector switch in circuit with the secondary wnding and with leads to said electrodes to permit an electrode associated with a specific burner to be energized for the igniting of the gas appliance.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,459,172 8/1969 Branson 43l-255 X 3,562,562 2/1971 Kreuter 43l-255 EDWARD G. FAVORS, Primary Examiner 

